After nearly three years in England my Mom is still trying to grasp why I'm not visiting her regularly. Special circumstances though. Two days before I left England to go home for my fiancee visa Mom had a major stroke. No one even told me; I found out when I got there and saw her.

Okay, bit heavy maybe for this particular thread, but if anyone else is in a similar situation, think about this.

Mom married Dad in 1946. She moved from Minnesota to Seattle to be with him. At that time this was a great distance to be apart from her own mother. She had guilt feelings over it all the years I was aware enough to understand.

When I was faced with the decision, not just to move far away, but to move far away after finding out about the stroke, I reflected on what Mom went through to be with Dad. She told me many times in my life that her mother didn't have children with the intention of holding them back from happiness, and she had no intention of ever holding us back from happiness either.

She can't tell me this now, but I really do believe she would if not for the stroke.

If anyone else has family far away, and knows there is nothing you could do for them even if you were closer, remember they want you to live your own life and be happy.

Hmm. Sorry. Struck a chord with me on this one.